That was NOT a difference maker this election. Trump has a long, slimy business record such that to expect him to stop being slimy once in office is unrealistic. He even blatantly admitted to bribing most of the candidates on the stage during the GOP debates. I don't see that a pimp is holier than a whore.

I believe he won because he sold the idea that most our security and job problems are caused by outsiders. It's a simple and powerful message from a political marketing standpoint: Nationalism 101.

The US economy actually depends on innovation similar to how the Middle East economies depend on oil. We are innovation addicts.

It's a myth that innovation itself is needed to stimulate consumption. There are plenty of existing things people already want, if they simply had the money.

But, anything that becomes a commodity to manufacture or manage gets shipped to cheap 3rd-world manufacturers (C3WM) where labor is cheaper. To maintain the USA's higher cost of living, we have to push the envelope to create new devices and markets that are too cutting edge to be commoditized (yet).

For example, when personal computers were new, they were mostly made in the USA. As they became more of a commodity, their production shifted overseas. Jobs himself used to assemble Apple computers in his garage.

Apple similarly knows they have to push the envelope to avoid being bowled over by C3WM who can throw labor at the problem. The expense and complexity of wireless earphones may seem like overkill now, but if they make Apple products slightly more convenient than the others, they have a sales and marketing edge over the C3WM that allows them to charge a premium.

Eventually the C3WM will catch up in wireless earphones and every phone will support them, and Apple will have to move on to the next Next Big Thing (which is probably already in their lab).

Thus, it's not just a "first world problem", but a first world survival technique (if you want to survive as a first-worlder).

The real problem is winner-takes-all politics. Half the people who voted didn't want Trump or his policies, but the other half gets to dictate for the next four years. Same with Brexit, 48% of people voted to stay in the EU, but some of the 52% of voted to leave seem to think that they have the right to force a "hard" exit.

It's pretty bad in both cases, because the normal balances that ensure everyone has a say and some kind of consensus is reached have failed. The Republicans control both houses and soon the Supreme Court. The Tories dominate UK politics.

I honestly can't tell which side you are talking about now. Conservatives have started a list of professors that hurt their feelings recently, and often demand others be silenced so that they can speak free from consequences. They like to put restrictions on other people, especially other people's bodies.

Republican policies have made US healthcare some of the most expensive in the world... Is that what you were referring to?

In an online political discussion, one conservative complained about Obama's alleged excess snooping. I pointed out that Bush and Trump are pretty much pro-snoopers also.

At first (s)he seemed to argue otherwise, but after a lot of probing on my part, the truth finally came out: He was more nervous with a Democrat snooping than a Republican. It wasn't the snooping itself, but WHO was snooping.

I can see how the personal trust issue can play a part, but to keep switching the laws back and forth depending on which party is in power is not realistic.

Why would you want gov't regulating genders? I thought you people didn't like gov't intervention?

Trump hasn't indicated any mandate to regulate such anyhow.

where people don't buy into the idea that all white people are evil racists...

Filtering immigrants based on religion is just on such a track in my book, along with other rude comments Mr. T has made without apologies. For some odd reason, many conservatives don't see it that way, and that concerns me.